The present invention generally relates to motor vehicles and more particularly, to a front body construction for a front engine motor vehicle.
Commonly, since a pair of suspension towers disposed at opposite transversal sides of a body of the motor vehicle and at a front portion thereof are subjected to external loads from front wheels, etc., they are generally required to have a relatively high strength.
In order to increase the strength of the suspension towers, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication (Jitsukosho) No. 2490/1979 discloses a front body construction in which intermediate portions of the respective spring houses (suspension towers) in the vertical direction of the body are coupled with the front deck through a panel. However, in the above described known construction, each of the outer side edges of the upper face portions of the spring houses is secured to each of the upper faces of the opposite side members (air ducts) of the body by spot welding, which outer side edges are, respectively, disposed outwardly in the sidewise direction of the body. Accordingly, in the case where an external load oriented in the sidewise direction of the body, i.e. a transversal load, is applied to the spring houses, the application of the load is oriented in the shearing direction with respect to the joint area, so that the spring houses have a sufficiently large strength against the load. On the other hand, in the case where an external load oriented in the vertical direction of the body, i.e. a vertical load is applied upwardly to the spring houses, the application of the load is oriented in such a direction as to detach each of the outer side edges of the upper face portions of the spring houses from each of the upper faces of the opposite side members. Thus, the prior art front body construction as described above has the disadvantage that the suspension houses have an insufficient strength against upward vertical loads.